Tate McRae dragged into backlash after Jack Hughes’ USA gold heroics

Canadian singer Tate McRae is facing a surge of online backlash after the United States stunned Canada in the men’s hockey final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with her rumoured link to American star Jack Hughes pulling her into the spotlight.

Team USA hockey secured a dramatic 2-1 overtime win in Milan-Cortina, with Hughes scoring the golden goal to deliver the United States’ first men’s Olympic hockey title since 1980. The high-stakes USA vs Canada clash quickly became one of the defining moments of the Winter Olympics.

But within hours of the victory, online conversation began shifting away from the ice and toward McRae.

Rumours resurface after Hughes heroics

Hughes and McRae have been linked for months after reportedly spending time together, including trips to New York. Neither has publicly confirmed a relationship.

The speculation reignited immediately after the Jack Hughes hockey star’s overtime winner, with some fans suggesting the alleged connection could explain McRae’s perceived support for USA hockey.

However, Hughes indicated that McRae was not his first thought after scoring. According to reports, the 24-year-old said he initially thought of US women’s national team player Megan Keller following the historic USA men’s hockey triumph.

Social media reaction intensifies

Criticism grew after McRae, who was born in Calgary, shared promotional content tied to NBC’s American broadcast coverage of the Milan-Cortina Games.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tate McRae (@tatemcrae)

While much of the online response reflected the familiar Canada-US sporting rivalry, some users were more pointed, questioning why the Canadian pop star appeared to back the American side during the Olympic hockey final.

Posts circulating on X showed some fans claiming they had blocked the singer, while others called for a boycott.

Online debate also widened to include unverified claims about Hughes’ political leanings, further fuelling discussion around the USA hockey hero. Hughes has not publicly addressed those claims.

tate mcrae, dump that team usa tr*mpie if you’re really canada down pic.twitter.com/oNJIVvXFbd

— astrid ❤️‍🩹 (@defnotastridd) February 23, 2026

Rivalry and viral moment collide

Despite the backlash, much of the reaction online appeared rooted in rivalry banter following one of the most anticipated Olympics hockey matchups in years.

Hughes’ overtime winner remains the defining moment of the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s tournament, capping a breakthrough run for Team USA and thrusting both the player and McRae into an unexpected viral storm.

Neither McRae nor Hughes has publicly commented on the dating speculation or the online criticism.